The Gate of the Mysterious Feminine

【Legendary Quest: Ultimate Knowledge Quest Progress Updated!】

【Current Progress: 90%】

【Current Progress: 95%】

【Current Progress: 100%】

All the soul gems turned into gray orbs of light, swirling clockwise like a vortex before being completely absorbed by Ning Yu.

The task progress notifications in her mind kept updating until it reached 100%.

Lacy looked at Ning Yu with astonishment, as well as the indescribable, mysterious aura surrounding her.

The golden vortex mark on Ning Yu's forehead glowed even brighter, accentuated by her beautiful silver hair, giving her an almost divine presence.

"Is this the power of the origin?"

Complex patterns and signals flashed briefly in Lacy's eyes but quickly vanished, as if she had tried to decipher something but failed.

【Ding! Legendary Quest: Ultimate Knowledge Completed!】

【Host's Awakening Ability Will Be Upgraded】

The air around them began to tremble, as if something was about to break through the barriers of reality and manifest in the mortal world.

Both Lacy and Shen Yiyue felt a shiver run through them, sensing the ominous signs of something that should not exist about to descend.

They averted their gazes, unable to look directly at Ning Yu.

The thought, 'Do not gaze upon a deity,' suddenly surfaced in their minds.

In front of Ning Yu, the familiar gray mist emerged, but this time, it was not leading her into the space where the Moon Princess resided.

Within the mist, a stone-cast door slowly opened with a thunderous rumble.

The Moon Princess, who looked identical to Ning Yu, stepped out. Her silver hair floated in the gray mist, as if dyed by its hue.

Her face bore the same enigmatic smile that had endured through the ages, and she silently approached Ning Yu.

The gray mist gently enveloped Ning Yu, making the golden thread connecting the two of them more visible.

A dim energy flowed from the stone-cast door, transferring to the Moon Princess and then to Ning Yu.

Ning Yu's vision was flooded with an endless stream of images:

The joys and sorrows of countless lives, the rise and fall of dynasties on the same land, the life cycles of all species, and the eternal dance of stars in the universe.

These images were not just visual; they encompassed sound, touch, and even smell.

Ning Yu heard the wails of the dying, the cries of newborns, the faint sound of flowers blooming, and the absolute silence of stars collapsing.

She smelled the metallic tang of blood, the dust of barren deserts, the luxurious fragrance of spices, and the foul stench of fertilized fields.

She felt warmth, cold, the gentle caress of a breeze, and the cool touch of raindrops.

It seemed endless, threatening to overwhelm her tiny existence.

Finally, she opened her eyes again, her amber irises now completely golden, mirroring the Moon Princess before her.

The stone-cast door began to close, and the Moon Princess's figure started to drift backward, returning to where she belonged.

Ning Yu stared blankly at the Moon Princess, watching her disappear into the underground space as if she had never been there.

【Ding! Awakening Ability Acquired: Gate of Profound Mystery】

The system's notification snapped her out of her daze. Lacy and Shen Yiyue still had their heads turned away, not daring to look in her direction.

Ning Yu opened her system panel and checked her origin section.

【Host's Origin: 「」】

In addition to the existing ability to replicate other Awakened abilities, a new skill had appeared.

【Gate of Profound Mystery: By harnessing the power of the origin, directly extract the origin ability of another Awakened being, manifest its ultimate form, and forge it into a one-time-use ultimate weapon.】

【Note: Using this ability will cause the target's origin ability to degrade significantly.】

【Usage Condition: Friendship level with the target must be at 'Intimate' or higher.】

Below the skill description was a small line of text.

【This is called the root of heaven and earth, ever-present and inexhaustible.】

By the time she finished reading the skill description, the other two had regained their composure and noticed that Ning Yu had returned to her normal state.

Judging from the skill's description, the only person who met the usage condition was Shen Yiyue.

Their friendship level was no longer described in words but represented by a heart symbol ❤.

As for other Awakened individuals, their friendship levels with Ning Yu were, at best, 'Friendly.'

If it ever reached 'Intimate,' something unusual would likely happen.

"An ultimate weapon, huh..."

Ning Yu pondered the term, realizing that once used, it would unleash power far beyond her imagination. However, it would also cause Shen Yiyue's abilities to degrade significantly.

This ability would likely serve as a last resort, as once Shen Yiyue's abilities were weakened, they might lose the chance to recover.

"It seems you've obtained what you were seeking."

Lacy, as if having completed her task, walked back to the metal teleportation gate that had lit up again.

She tossed a small device to Ning Yu and said,

"This is a communication device for you and your sister."

"I've done all I can. The rest is up to you."

The gold in her eyes faded, returning to the icy blue of her surface personality.

Ning Yu took the communicator and nodded silently.

She watched as Lacy disappeared through the teleportation gate, which then collapsed with a loud bang, turning into a heap of scrap metal on the ground.

In addition to this new skill, the soul gems had also significantly boosted Ning Yu's attributes. She was now much stronger than when she first entered the underground facility.

However, the bond between her, the Moon Princess, and the origin seemed to have deepened as well.

Ning Yu glanced at the remaining cyborg remains on the ground, remnants of the mutated zombies that had now completely vanished.

She walked over and took Shen Yiyue's hand, saying,

"Let's go. It's time to meet our old friend."

......

In a metallic space illuminated by dark red lights.

Ning Xuan felt intense pain and heat, as if she were trapped in chaos, her consciousness blurry.

When she suddenly opened her eyes, she tried to speak but realized she was just a head floating in a liquid.

She could no longer feel the rest of her body. Struggling to turn her head, she used the dim red light to look around.

What she saw horrified her:

Surrounding her were countless containers, each holding a head identical to hers.

Their wide-open eyes mirrored her own terror as they stared at each other.